I can't imagine what memory loss would feel like to a former cop, and a homicide detective at that. Adapted from E. O. Chirovici's novel "The Book of Mirrors", this movie soon took on a life of its own, breathed in large part by Russell Crowe.
Subtle performances and attentive characterisation defined the "Sleeping Dogs" movie. It gradually became a nightmarish nostalgia trip for Crowe's character Roy Freeman, who'd retired after suffering from severe memory loss.
But a case from his past and his past itself both came back to torment him. "Sleeping Dogs" contained an arresting story, rife with suspense, betrayal, experimental meds, and well-timed revelations.
Returning to an earlier case meant Roy reconnecting with so much that was lost along with his brain's ability to process memories. He soon found himself working with his old partner Jimmy Remis (played notably by Tommy Flanagan).
Between Roy's inability to recall and the many loose ends he discovered in the 10+ year old case, "Sleeping Dogs" began to live up to the phrase it emulated. Roy ended up not letting sleeping dogs lie.
The plot picked up in earnest and demanded my full attention as I tried to piece together what happened in the case involving death-row inmate Isaac Samuel (played by Pacharo Mzembe) and the detectives who'd gotten his confession to a murder he seemingly hadn't committed.
Richard Finn, later found deceased, became the hub around which a lot of clues revolved. Harry Greenwood did good work bringing this character to life, so to speak, and connecting some clever dots to the murder which sent Isaac away.
The portions that featured Karen Gillan (as Laura Baines / Elizabeth Westlake) were intriguing. Though she only came and went every now and again, she played a potent role in this story. Her interactions with Dr. Joseph Wieder (played with Marton Csokas) raised plenty of suspicions.
But nothing was as it seemed in "Sleeping Dogs". The story was slow-paced but exceedingly clever. As detective movies go, this one had a curious gravitas that made it seem like it followed a typical genre formula but with just the right amount of creative differences to make it come across as deeply suspenseful.
"Sleeping Dogs" was one of those movies where the clues were hidden in plain sight but you'd never really guess the cause-consequence angle until the plot itself revealed them.
--- --- --- Adding to the engaging performances in the movie were Thomas M. Wright (as Wayne Devereaux), Elizabeth Blackmore (as Dana Finn), Simon Maiden (as Eddie Finn), Kelly Greyson (as Emily Dietz), Lynn Gilmartin (as Diane Lynch), and Paula Arundell (as Susan Avery).
Subtle performances and attentive characterisation defined the "Sleeping Dogs" movie. It gradually became a nightmarish nostalgia trip for Crowe's character Roy Freeman, who'd retired after suffering from severe memory loss.
But a case from his past and his past itself both came back to torment him. "Sleeping Dogs" contained an arresting story, rife with suspense, betrayal, experimental meds, and well-timed revelations.
Returning to an earlier case meant Roy reconnecting with so much that was lost along with his brain's ability to process memories. He soon found himself working with his old partner Jimmy Remis (played notably by Tommy Flanagan).
Between Roy's inability to recall and the many loose ends he discovered in the 10+ year old case, "Sleeping Dogs" began to live up to the phrase it emulated. Roy ended up not letting sleeping dogs lie.
The plot picked up in earnest and demanded my full attention as I tried to piece together what happened in the case involving death-row inmate Isaac Samuel (played by Pacharo Mzembe) and the detectives who'd gotten his confession to a murder he seemingly hadn't committed.
Richard Finn, later found deceased, became the hub around which a lot of clues revolved. Harry Greenwood did good work bringing this character to life, so to speak, and connecting some clever dots to the murder which sent Isaac away.
The portions that featured Karen Gillan (as Laura Baines / Elizabeth Westlake) were intriguing. Though she only came and went every now and again, she played a potent role in this story. Her interactions with Dr. Joseph Wieder (played with Marton Csokas) raised plenty of suspicions.
But nothing was as it seemed in "Sleeping Dogs". The story was slow-paced but exceedingly clever. As detective movies go, this one had a curious gravitas that made it seem like it followed a typical genre formula but with just the right amount of creative differences to make it come across as deeply suspenseful.
"Sleeping Dogs" was one of those movies where the clues were hidden in plain sight but you'd never really guess the cause-consequence angle until the plot itself revealed them.
--- --- --- Adding to the engaging performances in the movie were Thomas M. Wright (as Wayne Devereaux), Elizabeth Blackmore (as Dana Finn), Simon Maiden (as Eddie Finn), Kelly Greyson (as Emily Dietz), Lynn Gilmartin (as Diane Lynch), and Paula Arundell (as Susan Avery).